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ATHESSA,
[sounds of light scuffling, likely as he tries to both catch his own balance and make sure she keeps hers.]
[sounds of light scuffling, likely as he tries to both catch his own balance and make sure she keeps hers.]
I've never had to!
[scuffle, then a pause as they catch their breath.]
...all right, one more.
[scuffle, then a pause as they catch their breath.]
...all right, one more.
Bastien's initial greeting-- if that's what it was-- does nothing but puzzle Benedict, but it's quickly out of his mind when he goes back to his book; thus the much greater shock when Bastien returns with something he thought he'd never see again.
With a quiet intake of breath, Bene takes the paper, looking it over to find that it is, in fact, what he thinks it is.
"...you saved them," he breathes.
With a quiet intake of breath, Bene takes the paper, looking it over to find that it is, in fact, what he thinks it is.
"...you saved them," he breathes.
[He's getting so frustrated that his voice cracks when he says:] Athessa PLEASE, COME ON.
Bastien smiles, and he doesn’t say of course as if it were a given, because it wasn’t. Obviously it wasn’t.
“I like them,” he says, helping himself to a seat alongside Benedict without waiting for an invitation. Recently-imprisoned Tevinter nobles aren’t real nobles. “I could not help looking. Some of them were a little damp on the edges, so I hung them up—and I put that one there in my press for a little bit to try to dry it flat, but look, it didn’t quite work.”
“I like them,” he says, helping himself to a seat alongside Benedict without waiting for an invitation. Recently-imprisoned Tevinter nobles aren’t real nobles. “I could not help looking. Some of them were a little damp on the edges, so I hung them up—and I put that one there in my press for a little bit to try to dry it flat, but look, it didn’t quite work.”
He frowns. After a short pause, sighing through his nose, he relents.
"Minrathous," is all he says.
"Minrathous," is all he says.
When they have finally, finally ascended the staircase and Benedict has wrestled Athessa to her room, he elbows the door open, picks his way through the various kittens winding against his legs, and deposits her on her bed.
He's worked up quite a sweat, and stands there looking at Athessa like he might just smother her with a pillow now that she's here.
"Sleep," he commands, pointing at her.
He's worked up quite a sweat, and stands there looking at Athessa like he might just smother her with a pillow now that she's here.
"Sleep," he commands, pointing at her.
Crinkled and stained isn't a problem when he'd thought they were gone for good. With a faint smile, Benedict runs his thumb along the wrinkled edge of one.
"Thank you," he says, to the papers, then actually looks up at Bastien. "...I mean it. Thank you."
"Thank you," he says, to the papers, then actually looks up at Bastien. "...I mean it. Thank you."
Athessa sprawls on the bed, and might've just passed out were it not for that command. She blinks at his pointing hand, then reaches to grab it. Not his finger, but his hand or wrist, whichever she can get a hold on to pull him onto the bed with her.
"No--"
If he weren't trying so hard to keep from treading on a cat, Benedict might actually manage to keep his footing; but he is, so he doesn't. He topples across Athessa, catching himself on the opposite side of the bed with his hips resting over her stomach.
Taking a moment to get his bearings, he looks crossly over his shoulder at her.
"I'm not sleeping here," he remarks.
If he weren't trying so hard to keep from treading on a cat, Benedict might actually manage to keep his footing; but he is, so he doesn't. He topples across Athessa, catching himself on the opposite side of the bed with his hips resting over her stomach.
Taking a moment to get his bearings, he looks crossly over his shoulder at her.
"I'm not sleeping here," he remarks.
He moves off her and over to the spot indicated, situating himself such that he can hang out here and keep an eye on her until she goes to sleep.
One idle hand moves to pet Ser Percival, because it's physically impossible and also illegal to have a cat in one's reach and not pet them.
One idle hand moves to pet Ser Percival, because it's physically impossible and also illegal to have a cat in one's reach and not pet them.
For a few seconds after he situates himself, she keeps patting the mattress. But then she stops and wriggles a bit to find that perfect, comfortable spot and mumbles some explanation of the cat situation, incoherently waving towards the floor at Clever Lunete and Myria (or whoever that one is).
"S'Percival," she says, booping the named kitten's nose and getting playfully swatted at in return.
"S'Percival," she says, booping the named kitten's nose and getting playfully swatted at in return.
"Go to sleep," Bene says again, pawing halfheartedly at Athessa's face as if to make her eyes close. Stop fooling around!!
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